Clip



Patented July 28, 1931 UNITED f STATES# PATENT QFFIC 'CLAUDE A. BuLKnLnY, or KENMORE, NEW YORK, ssIeNOn 'ro NiAGiinA' BLOWER COMPANY, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF* NEW YORK;

CLIP

Application.` filedl December 16, 19.30." Serial No. 502,821,

My present invention relates to a` clip of a form and Construction paifticularlysuited for use in the stretchingr of hides and like articles. The clip, in its general pla-n odi *construction and operation, is similar to, the;

"fsheet metal Aface `plate of a stretch-ing'- frame.

lVhen used in ythis connectionv a plurality of clips grip the edgesof the hide andt are maintained in stretching relation by engagelment' of appropriate means on the several fclips in the perforations of the face plate `of vthe! stretching frame. r

YThe clip which forms' my present invenfl tion, like that ofm-.y copending application, p i.has a lin-ger piecev `or handlel byv means vof which it may be `pulled to drawvthe hide taut,

and a springi connection between its hide gripping and fraine4engaging parts which serves to prevent tea-ring of the'lhide at' its `places of 'connection with the clips, either *from the use ofexcessive force in drawing the hide taut or from shrinkage of the hide in drying.. g 'l My. invention relates generall to a clip i Acomprising a part adaptedtol eengaged with a stretching frame, a part having grip# ping jaws thereon, andv spring tension means.

between the parts and tendingto draw'them together.V More particularly, my present in-y vention resides in.- a construction` of clip embodying improvements 1n several features,

including the iframe-engagingv means, the gripping means, the bearing support for the movable gripping Jaw, the vform and arrangement of the tensioning spring, and the means for attachingfthe spring to the partsv of the clip.;

The principal Objects of myl inventionvare to provide a clip which not only canbe quicklyA andi easily manipulated with one handi in placing it in position and removing it from a hidestretchingfframe, and which reliably grips the hidel and holds kitin stretchedcon;`

dition on the frame, ywithout dangerof tearf.

ing or loosening, but vwhich is alsocompose'd ofrafm'inimum number of partssojoonstructed,

arranged', and proportioned as' to yproduce a comparatively short, more compact,l and more convenient device, and One that may be more readily andmore-economically manufactured andV in which thejnecessityof repairs orlre-` placements under severel andlong-continued use are reduced to Va minimum. l y In the eccomi) anims @willem upon a stretching frame.y l

Figure 2 is alten nlanvew 0f the Clin rer# `movedfromthe frame, Y

`Figure Siis a longitudinal ysectionalview taken on line 3.-'-3 offFig. 2j. .I Y

Figure 4 is an, enlarged/top plan view of detached.y from the other parts.

\ Figure 5:, is an end elevational view, taken from: the left-handend of Fig. 2. o

Figure 61 is an enlarged sectional View looking down on line 6*;6 of Figg.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the assembled device, looking in the; direction of the' arrows on line 7-7 of Fig. 3 and ,Figure Skisan enlarged sectional lview on, line 8 8 of Figure 3," looking inthedirection ofthe arrows. f

The clip which constitutes my. presen-t invention may be used with any suitable stretchy ing frame of usual @dwell-known construction, but the frame which I prefer to` use forms the subject-matter of my copending application Serial No. 473,146, filed August 5, 1930 art oi'. the ramerengaging partei'- the clip 1in general sucha Yframe consists of a sheet metal face plate 'reinforced at its edges by angle` irons .6 riveted or Otherwise secured to the plate. The :tace plate is perforated throughout substantially its entire extent, theholes 8 being comparatively small,so that when the. hide ,9is gripped at its edges; by

bodying my present improvements comprises a gripping part provided with means for gripping the hide, a frame-engaging part 11 slidable with respect to the gripping part, and a spring tension device interposed between the relatively slidable parts and tending to draw them together.

The frameengaging part 11, preferably made of sheet metal, comprises a flat plate portion with spaced pairs of upstanding flanged lips 21 thereon, a handle 22 and a finger 24 for engaging the holes 8 in the face plate. In my present improved construction this finger is made rounded to insure its proper engagement with the periphery of any of the holes 8 and to prevent the wear which would result from use of a finger with sharp edges.

The gripping part 10, also preferably "made of sheet metal, consists of a tongue 12 adapted to slide on plate 2O between lips 21 and beneath the flanges thereof, the tongue being formed with a reverse lip 13 adapted to function as the lower gripping jaw of the device, upstanding vwings 14 on opposite sides ofthe tongue indented, as at 15, to permit the insertion of the edge of the hide into the gripping jaws, and carrying a pivot 19 for the movable upper gripping jaw 16. The pivoted jaw 16 is formed with a handle 18 and has its gripping portion turned inwardly in a reverse' lip or cam 17 to cooperate with lower gripping jaw 13. By reason of this reverse arrangement, cam'17 is drawn Vmore tightly into engagement with the hide when tension is applied to it, so that the hide is effectively prevented from slipping out through the jaws. The jaw 16 is shown as knurled, but either or both of the gripping jaws may be milled or roughened to increase the gripping action upon the hide.

In releasing the hide from the clip, the

Y handle of the movable jaw is prevented from excessiveturning movement by coming into contact with stops 35 on wings 14.

The gripping part 10 is slidably connected to the frame-engaging part 11 by the engagement of tongue 12 between the flat plate portion 20 of part 11, and the oppesitely disposed pairs of guiding and retaining flangedl lips 21 formed thereon.

The spring tension means interposed between the parts 10 and 11 preferably comprises a helical tension spring 25, the opposite ends 30, 31 of which are bent directly across the helix to form points of attachment to the relatively slidable parts of the clip, which points are practically coincident with the respective ends of the helix. By this arrangement a material reduction in the over-all length of the clip may be effected.

The spring is secured to part 11 by the engagement of its end 30 with a lip 27 struck from handle 22. The other end of the spring is attached to part 10, the lower lip 13 there- `pose lip 13 or its hook extension 32 may be formed with feet 33 bent downwardly against or in close proximity to the lower portion of part 10, preferably on each side of the central lip or hook extension.

The spring 25 is preferably so constructed and arranged that, when installed in a clip for stretching hides, it begins to open at about fifteen pounds, any greater force which may be applied to the device, either manually or by shrinkage of the hide, being expended insti-etching the spring and not being exerted upon the edges of the hide.

The aims of lessening the difficulties and expense of manufacture and lengthening the life of the device, realized in my novel spring-attaching means and other improved features, are also followed in the construction of the pivotal mounting of the upper gripping jaw 16. The pin 19 extends through reversely disposed bearing straps 37,

v of handle 18 moves the cam 17 downwardly and forwardly and grips the edge of the hide between the cam 17 and lower jaw 13, the gripping action being increased when tension Yis put upon the hide. Grasping the handle 22, the operator then moves each clip outwardly to draw the hide 9 taut upon the perforated plate 5, and catches the finger or hook 24 of each of the clips in the proper opening 8 in the face plate to hold the hide in its taut condition.

I claim:

1. A fastener for holding hides or the like in a stretched condition on a frame, comprising a part having a gripping jaw and a spring support integral therewith, a support for a movable jaw and a gripping jaw movably mounted thereon, a part slidable relative to said lirst-mentioned part and provided with a spring support and a hook adapted to be engaged with said frame, and a spring attached to said spring supports and tending to draw said parts together.

2. A fastener for holding hides or the like in a stretched condition on a frame, comprising relatively slidable parts, one of said parts having a spring-attaching member and a frame-engaging member, and another of said parts having a lixed gripping jaw and a movable jaw cooperating therewith, said fixed jaw having a spring-attaching member integral therewith, and a spring engaging said spring-attaching members and tending to draw said relatively slidable parts together.

3. In a fastener for holding hides or the like in a stretched condition on a frame, a frame-engaging part comprising a plate having a frame-engaging linger on its under side and oppositely disposed guide lips upon its upper side and provided with a spring-attaching member, a hide-engaging part comprising a tongue slidably engaging said plate between said guide lips and having thereon a reversely formed lower jaw, and upstanding side wings, said lower jaw being extended inwardly to form a spring-attaching hook, a movable jaw pivoted between said wings and having a cam portion movable toward said lower jaw to grip the edge of the hide there-v between, and spring tension means connected to said spring-attaching member and said spring-attaching hook'and tending to draw said frame-engaging part and said hide-engaging part together. -f

4. A fastener for holding hides or the like in a stretched condition on a frame, comprising a part having a gripping jaw and a spring-attaching extension integral therewith and providedwith a support for a movable gripping jaw pivotally mounted thereon, a part slidable relative to said first-mentioned part and provided with a spring-attaching member and a frame-engaging fintongue slidably engaging said plate between s said guide lips and having thereon a reversely formed lower Jaw and upstandlng side wings, said lower jaw being extended inwardly to form a spring-attaching hook, and formedrwith depending feet adapted to engage and brace against said tongue, a sheet Y metal movable jaw pivotedl between said wings and comprising a handle portion, a bearing portion, and a reversely-.extending cam jaw portion movable toward said lower Jaw to grip the edge of a hide therebetween,

said bearing portion being slitted and struck up to form reversely disposed curved bearing straps,and a pivot pin extending through said straps and supported on said wings, and a helical spring having its ends bent directly across its helix and respectively connected to saidr Spring-attached hooks.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my signature.

` yCLAU DE BULKELEY.

ger, and a helical spring having its vends turned directly across its yhelix and respectively connected to said spring-attaching extension and said spring attaching member, and tending to draw said parts together.

5. In a fastener for holding hidesor the like in a stretched condition on a frame, a

frame-engaging part having a handle and a i depending finger adapted to bev engaged in said frame, a hide-engaging part slidable relative to said frame-engaging part and having a fixed lower jaw, upstanding wings and a sheet metal` movable jaw, said movable jaw comprising a handle portion, a bearing portion and a reversely extending cam jaw portion, said bearing portion being positioned between said wings and being slitted and struck up to form reversely disposed curved bearing straps, and a headed and shouldered pivot pin extending through said Straps, supported upon said wings, and holding said wings in properly spaced relation to permit pivotal movement of said movable jaw, and acoil spring connected at its/respective ends to said frame-engaging part and said hideengaging part. i

6. In a fastener for holding hides or the 

